The Secret Lake
by PunkPrincess316
Summary: The power is out in Midgar and part of AVALANCHE decides they want to go swimming at Yuffie's secret lake... wait, what do you mean Cloud can't swim?


_**Hehe, I've been one quite the one shot streak… And since I have like four Yuffentine ones and no Cloti I thought I would remedy that. :)**_

Midgar had no electricity.

Midgar had no electricity and it was a hundred degrees outside.

"Boobs, it's hot in here." Yuffie sighed, sinking lower into her bar stool so she could rest her head on the cool lacquer of the bar counter.

"I know," Tifa said patiently. "And there isn't a thing I can do about that I'm sorry."

Yuffie groaned, then immediately perked up, "You could take me swimming."

"Where are we going to go swimming in Midgar on a day like this? I'd like to relax Yuff, not get mauled by a mob of overheated idiots."

Yuffie rolled her eyes, "We're not going to get mauled. I happen to know a super secretive place where we could swim all by out onsies."

"Oh really? Where'd you hear about this?"

Yuffie stuck a heroic pose, "I'm a ninja Teef. It is my civil duty to know a bunch of trivial things. Like where a hundred foot deep lake is."

"A lake?"

Yuffie rolled her eyes, "Please tell me you're too old to believe in the Loch Ness Monster. Besides it's only twenty or so minutes from here."

"I don't know. Barret was supposed to come and pick up Marlene so they could go out."

"Bring the old man with us."

"Who's old?" Barret poked his head into the door of the bar.

"Nobody." Tifa quickly blurted out, "Yuffie just thought it would be a good idea if we all went to this lake so we could swim."

"Actually, I think the midget has a point."

"Hey!" Yuffie snapped, "Better be nice or I won't show you guys where it is."

"Calm down you two." Cloud said as he and Vincent walked in.

"Vinnie!" Yuffie chirped, giving her boyfriend a cheerful hug. "Tifa said we could go swimming!"

Cloud looked strange, "Swimming?" He threw a questioning glance to his girlfriend.

Tifa just shrugged while Yuffie nodded energetically. "Yup! The water will be so refreshing! I can't wait. Vinnie, I'll go throw our beach bag in Barret's minivan."

"It's not a freaking minivan." Barret fumed, "It's an old army issue transport vehicle."

"That happens to look a lot like a minivan." Yuffie quipped, skipping out of the bar.

"I'll just go get the kids ready," Tifa offered. "Cloud, you and Barret just need to get your things ready."

"Uh, yeah." Cloud said, "I guess I'll go do that."

o`o`o`o`o`

"Wow! The water is so blue!" Marlene's voice was awed.

"I know right?" Yuffie flashed them a charming grin. "Isn't you Aunt Yuff brilliant?"

The two children hugged her tightly before charging into the lake.

"The water is great!" Denzel shouted. "Come on you guys!"

"Alright!" Yuffie shouted back, "Give the big kids a couple minutes to change!"

Immediately she began stripping off the oriental cover up that she had over her silver and white bikini.

Soon the others began to follow suit. Barret had on a pair of camouflage trunks, Vincent had on a burgundy pair, and Cloud's were just a solid cobalt blue.

Tifa was the last to take off her wrap, but underneath she wore a very flattering black cutout suit.

"Company, charge!" Yuffie shouted leaping into the water. "Watch out kiddies, here comes the lake monster!"

Denzel let out a yell as Yuffie snatched him and catapulted him across the lake.

"Swim for your life Marlene, Yuffemachine's gonna get you next!"

"Stop harassing my girl!" Barret charged into the water after her.

Tifa laughed and waded up to her hips. "This is nice.

"It is." Vincent commented from beside her.

"That's Yuffie for you though. I wonder how she even knew about this place."

"She and I come here often." Vincent admitted.

"So you showed it to Yuffie?"

The dark haired man shook his head, "No, Yuffie showed it to me."

The ninja in question waved her arms. "Come her Vinnie! The kids want to play chocobo! It's them and Barret versus us!"

"It seems I've been summoned," Vincent murmured, a smile playing at his lips. He moved off toward Yuffie and the others.

Tifa chuckled, then turned to look for Cloud.

"Right behind you." He murmured, and Tifa nearly slapped him in the face.

"Sorry." She mumbled, "You startled me a little bit."

"It's all right."

Marlene waved at the pair from atop Barret's shoulders. "We're going to swim of to that rock in the center. Are you coming?"

Tifa nodded, "Sure!" She started off then noticed that Cloud wasn't following her.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Cloud said.

"Aren't you coming?"

"Nah, that's alright. You go ahead. I'll cheer you guys on from here."

"You don't want to come."

"Uh, well, that not it exactly."

"Don't you like the water?"

"I love the water,"

"I don't get it."

Cloud fidgeted for a moment. "I can't really swim."

"You can't?"

He shook his head. "Uh, no."

"Why not?"

Cloud shrugged his shoulder, making the water glisten on his broad chest. "I could when I was a kid, but that was years ago."

"You swam when we went to Costa Del Sol." Tifa pointed out.

Cloud snorted, "No. I waded and almost drowned a couple times."

Tifa laughed. "Well it's really easy once you get the hang of it. We'll have to come back some other time so I can teach you. Unless you want to learn now?"

Cloud shook his head empathetically. He had no intention of making a fool of himself in front of an audience. With Tifa it was okay, but not with them.

"Tifa you coming?" Denzel yelled.

"That's alright honey!" Tifa responded. "I'm not feeling so well, and Cloud said he'd stay behind with me. You guys go ahead."

The little boy nodded and the group continued their exploration.

"Thanks." Cloud muttered.

Tifa grinned and dunked the blonde underwater.

He came up sputtering. "What was that for?"

"You owe me."

"I thought I just told you I couldn't swim."

"Quit being a baby. The water is only chest deep."

Cloud seized Tifa by the waist and threw her across the lake.

"What the heck?"

Cloud grinned, "In case you panic, just stand up."

Tifa cracked her knuckles, "It is on Spikey."

"Bring it."

o`o`o`o`o

The sun was almost gone by the time the little troupe decided to go home.

Tifa sighed. As tired as she was, she really didn't want to move from her current position. She was sitting in between Cloud's legs with her head resting on his chest. He was supporting them with one hand and playing with her hair with the other.

"I had fun today." He breathed in her ear.

"So did I." Tifa murmured back.

"I love you."

"I love you too, even if you do swim like a rock."

Cloud chuckled, "Well I love you even if you can't open a jar of spaghetti sauce by yourself."

"Not funny. Those things are impossible."

Cloud chuckled again. "If you say so." He stood and offered her a hand. "C'mon. I think it's time we went home."

The word sounded so right coming from his lips.

"Yeah. Let's go home."

Everyone threw their bags in the back and Yuffie was the first to climb into Barret's 'minivan' to claim first dibs on seats. Every one else followed her example, and soon they were headed home.

Marlene and Denzel fell asleep about halfway, and even Vincent was yawning by the time they pulled into the Seventh Heaven.

"Vinnie and I are just gonna crash here, okay Teef?" Yuffie was trying her hardest to keep her eyes open.

"That's fine. Barret you can stay too."

"Alright. I think I'll take you up on that offer. Same room as always?"

"Yeah." Tifa mumbled, feeling herself yawn. "I think I'm going to turn in too. I'm exhausted."

She walked towards the stairs, grabbing Yuffie's arm on the way.

Tifa gave the confused ninja a sweet smile. "You and I need to talk about the shared custody of the lake."

_**Ta Da! There you are. I'm considering writing a … prequel? Yes, it would be a prequel, about the first time Yuffie showed Vinnie the lake… but as of right now it's just a theory.**_

_**Reviews make more Cloti stories appear like magic. They are your summoning materia in disguise!**_


End file.
